Prose Challenge of the Week #30: It's Independence Day and the aliens have invaded. You have one chance to save the planet by describing to them what Independence means. Share that speech with us. The winner will be chosen based on a number of criteria, this includes: fire, form, and creative edge. Number of reads, bookmarks, and shares will also be taken into consideration. The winner will receive $100. When sharing to Twitter, please use the hashtag #ProseChallenge

Do Not Tread On Us

I stand before you, an American citizen of the United States, the greatest country on this earth. We Americans are a free people, a proud and strong people, and have earned this right, through our courage and convictions, through our passion and commitment, through our love for independence.

You wonder how it is that we celebrate this day, our day of Independence?

It is a day that speaks louder than words, that shouts to the far ends of the earth, that speaks for every man, woman and child living in the United States. Through the courage of our brave soldiers, we became an independent country over two hundreds years ago. We are a united people, from all walks of life, from all countries, from all faiths, from all lifestyles. We live together because of our love for independence.

To be independent means to be free from the shackles of oppression, free from the constrictions of a dictator, free from controlling governments. The people of the United States are law-abiding citizens, yet they are free to do whatever they want. They are free to make choices: they can vote, they can work, they can live wherever they want to, they can marry whomever they want to, they can say whatever they want to, they can have demonstrations, and run businesses, and basically live freely.

So we ask that you honor and respect our way of life. Do not challenge us, for we will defend our country and independence fiercely. For it has become a way of life that is worth living for and worth dying for.